A Barclays spokesman said: “We are ready to work with any bank to make cheque imaging an industry wide service – because we continue to believe that this digital technology can make banking more convenient for customers. We don’t give a running commentary on any detailed discussions with other banks.”

Meanwhile Barclays is offering a new service to its small business customers which allows them to see data on other local firms.

The idea is that SMEs can gain intelligence on local shopping habits and business expenses, as well as researching potential locations for new stores.

The bank hopes that it represents a new way to make money from the huge amounts of transaction data which sits inside its systems but typically goes to waste.